10 top tweets to kick-start #Februdairy

#Februdairy is here and with it the opportunity for dairy farmers and fans to share positive messages, pictures and videos across social media for an entire month.

The initiative was sparked by livestock sustainability consultant Dr Jude Capper and her call to arms with one tweet in mid-January, which suggested people take on 28 days of positive posts. The idea quickly gathered pace and supporters.

Here’s a list of some of the best tweets celebrating #Februdairy on day one, from Dr Capper’s initial tweet, to top professionals, farmers and teenagers, and anyone else who just loves dairy.

We couldn’t make a #Februdairy list without including Dr Capper’s initial tweet, which has since received hundreds of retweets, comments and likes. She describes herself as a “myth-buster” and has explained that it takes five positive messages to outweigh one negative message.

Showing the #Februdairy message has already been heard internationally, Jessica from Ontario, Canada, tweeted her advice on what to do if you spot cruelty taking place on a farm – don’t complain about it on social media, report it. That way farms that don’t cause cruelty to their animals can be supported and respected.

4. Getting out of bed…

Tomorrow is the start of #Februdairy. Time to share the reason why you get out of bed in the morning, or maybe why you were called out of bed earlier this morning!

The British Cattle Veterinary Association wants farmers to use #Februdairy as a chance to share what gets them out of bed in the mornings – whether it’s for the love of the work or the struggles of the first milking session of the day.

Somerset farmer Nick Hiscox has chosen a novel approach to #Februdairy – he has challenged vegans and non-farmers to take a look at a basic overview of his business and share their ideas for a sustainable proposal. So far three have accepted.

Jennifer Down from Cornwall has kicked off #Februdairy with a sneak peek into a working milking parlour to show those who haven’t stepped foot on a farm where the magic happens.

8. Show what we do

We're poor enough at selling our story as dairy farmers, marketing what we do isn't our strong point- I think we should all make the effort for @februdairy & show what we do best – 2 days to go @Bovidiva 😉 pic.twitter.com/gSd4dmB2V5

9. Teenage support

Fleur Taylor, 13, from the north-west of England, is taking to twitter with pictures and messages telling everyone why she is proud to be a farmer and encouraging everyone to post for #Februdairy.

10. Glass of milk every morning

Being a farm vet is physically demanding. When I started struggling to keep weight on, due to long hours and irregular meal times, I sought help from a nutritionist…guess what they recommended…Dairy….loads of it…and a glass of milk every morning #Februdairypic.twitter.com/j747X2TOSs